hen

noun

ˈhen 

1

a

: a female chicken especially over a year old

broadly : a female bird

b

: the female of various mostly aquatic animals (such as lobsters or fish)

2

: woman

especially : a fussy middle-aged woman

Examples of hen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The hen would disappear frequently, sometimes for months at a time, then reemerge outside of hunting season. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 4 Dec. 2024

Biosecurity New Zealand believes laying hens foraging outside the shed were exposed to a low pathogenic virus from wild waterfowl, which can mutate on interaction with chickens. —Matthew Brockett, Fortune Asia, 2 Dec. 2024

With the concern about Salmonella, eggs gathered from laying hens should be refrigerated as soon as possible. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2024

In the past, hens would typically raise three or four poults to adulthood, says Hatfield. —Anne Readel, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English henn; akin to Old English hana rooster — more at chant

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hen

• Cornish game hen
• Cornish hen
• game hen
• hazel hen
• heath hen
• hen and chickens
• hen night
• hen of the wood
• hen of the woods
• hen party
• hen track
• marsh hen
• mother hen
• Rock Cornish game hen
• Rock Cornish hen
• tappit hen
• water hen

Kids Definition

hen

noun

ˈhen 

1

: a female chicken especially over a year old

2

: a female of any bird